Apparatus for extinguishing fires



J. B. AND O. R. ER WIN.

APPARATUSFOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9. 1917.

Patented Jan. 17,1922. I

F .1. ;8 HM mum! UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. ERWIN AND ORLANDO R. ER'WIN, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNORS 'IO FOAMITE FIREFOAM COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISIIING FIRES.

Application filed February 9, 1917. Serial No. 147,529.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES B. ERwiN and ORLANDO R. ERWIN, citizens of the United States, residing at the city of Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of VVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Extinguishing Fires, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for automatically enerating and distributing a fire extinguis ing foam for extinguishing fires in buildings, boats, etc., and it pertains more especially to that class known as automatic sprinkler systems.

It is a well known fact that on certain classes of fires, such as occur with highly inflammable liquids, water has little or no extinguishing effect, often tending to increase the fire by spreading it, whereas if a suflicient quantity of a suitable foam is properly applied to such fires they may be readily extinguished.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an especially eifectivecombination of well known efficient apparatus adapted to employ suitable foam producing solutions which when mixed will form a fire extinguishing foam. Our apparatus may be readily installed in such buildings as gara es, paint and varnish works, petroleum re neries and the like, in which highly inflammable liquids, oils, greases, etc., are either stored or handled.

Further objects of the invention will appear more fully hereafter.

Referring to the drawings: I

Figure 1, is a side elevation, part in vertical section, of one form of arrangement of a portion of the invention, shown in operative connection with two solution reservoirs located on the roof of a building.

Figure 2, is a similar view to that shown in Figure 1, showing a modified form of the invention in connection with a compressed air tank.

Figure 3, is a vertical sectional view of a preferred form of solution controlling valve.

Like parts are identified by like reference characters throughout the several views.

Before describing the drawings in detail, we will give a brief description of the general operation of the invention, and the foam producing solutions employed. Sprinkler heads 1, of ordinary construction, but

preferably of a larger size than those now on the market, are located in the usual manner near the ceilings 2 and other exposed parts of a building or other structure, and are operatively connected directly to foam generating chambers 3 as shown in Figure 2, or indirectly to the foam generating chamber 5 by means of suitable piping 10, as is shown in Figure 1. Two separate reservoirs 6 and 7 are provided to contain the two special liquids A and B which when mixed will form the fire extinguishing foam, and these liquids may be briefly described as follows: The solution A is preferably composed of water, sodium bicarbonate, and a foam producing substance, for example saponin which is an extract of soap bark. The so lution B may be in the nature of any suitable acid solution, and when the two solutions are mixed a foam lasting a long time is produced.- When a fire occurs in the vicinity of one of the sprinkler heads 1, the strut 8 thereof fuses in the usual way, which releases the air pressure or other medium holding back the two separating solutions. The two solutions, thus released, are brought togetherythrough iping, to a mixing chamber and therein thoroughly mixed to form the foam which, under the added pressure of the gas generated, escapes under increased pressure at the fused sprinkler head, and the said foam is thereby automa ically spread in all directions upon the fire in the vlcinity of such head.

. Referring now more especially to Figure 1, the system therein shown is intended to represent what is commonly termed the fwet system of installation, that is, the distributing pipes 10, fittings 11, etc., are filled with liquid which, in this case, is preferably the alkaline solution A contained in the reservoir 6. The other liquid B inthe reservoir 7 being an acid solution should preferably be normally kept out of the mixing cham bers and distributing system of piping owing to its corrosive efi'ect thereon, and its containing reservoir 7 is therefore preferably provided with an acid proof lining 13, or the equivalent. To normally prevent the said acid solution Bfrom entering the risers 12' and piping 10, we employ what is commonly Patented J an. 1'7, 1922.

termed a dry pipe valve 14, which is herein shown and described in detail with reference to Figure 3. Reference still being had to Figure 1, the reservoir 6 is shown located at a greater elevation above the roof 20' of the building than that of the reservoir 7, whereby a greater pressure is normallymaintained in distributing pipes, etc., which will counteract the pressure of the acid solution B in the reservoir 7' and keep such solution out of said system until required.

This is accomplished by means of the socalled dry-pipe valve 14, shown in vertical section in Figure 3. This comprises the twoseated valve 15, valve seats 16 and 17 therefor, all operativ'cly installcdin the two-piece housin as shown, the upper section 18 of which is provided with a flanged inlet 19, for connection by bolts, not shown, to the solution reservoir 7, and the lower section 20 is similarly provided with a flanged outlet 21 for connection by means of bolts, not shown, to the distributing system of pipes or risers. The two sections 18 and 20 are connected together to form a tight joint at 22 by means of the annular 'flanged connections 23, 23', through bolts, or any suitable means.

In operation, air or other fluid under pressure enters through port 21 and exerts pressure on the lower side 25 of the valve. 15, thus holding the same against both its seats 16 and 17, and thereby tightly closing the port 19. lVhen any of the sprinkler heads 1 of the system open up, the air or other fluid pressure in the distributing pipes falls and valve 15 drops upon the stops 30, which permits the liquid on the upper side of the valve 15 to descend, through the open by-paths 31 surrounding said valve 15, to the foam gen erating chamber and distributing system.

Tov revent back pressure of the foam generate in the chamber 5, of Figure 1, from closing the said valve 15 in the housing 14:,

we have provided a pressure equalizing bypass duct 35, which provides open'communication between the said foam generatin chamber 5 and the upper ends of both sai solution reservoirs through the branch duct 37 and 38.

Referring to Figure2, the system therein shown represents the application of what is commonly known as the dry-pipe system of installation, namely all piping, fittings, foam generating chambers, etc., connectin the sprinkler heads 1 with the over hea gravity reservoirs 6 and 7, are filled with air under sufiicient pressure to normally hold the dry-pipe valves 14 in their closed positions, thereby normally retaining the solutions A and B in their respective reservoirs. Should any one or more of the sprinkler heads l open, the air pressure in the distributing system falls, resulting in the simultaneous discharge of the two separated solutions intothe foam generating chambers 3, in operative connection with the sprinkler heads as above described. i

The tank 40 represents a compressed air storage tank in operative connection with a source of supply, not shown, through the duct 41 and check valve 12, and open communication is bad with the distributing piping through the duct 43, while 44 is a pressure gauge of ordinary construction-in connection with said compressed air tank 40.

Many modifications in any of the above described systems may be made without de-' parting from the general scheme of this invention.

What we claim is:

' 1. In an automatic fire extinguishing apparatus, a plurality of solution reservoirs holding component solutions which, when comixed, produce a fire extinguishing foam, 80 solution discharge means comprising a discharge pipe for each reservoir and connected for solution communication with such reservoirs, a distributing piping system connected to the solution discharge means and including provisions for comixing the solutions to generatea foam, automatic valve mechanism in said solution discharge means and located between the distributing piping system and the reservoirs; the said automatic 90. valve mechanism being normally closed under fluid pressure in the distributing piping system and fusible means in the free end of the said distributing piping-system, the automatic valve mechanism being adapted to be opened upon the fusing of the fusible means to permit the solutions to flow from the reservoirs for comixture to provide a fire extinguishing foam.

2. In an automatic fire extinguishing apparatus, the combination with a plurality of reservoirs, adapted to contain different liquids, which when mixed form a fire extinguishing foam, of a pipe connected to each reservoir at the bottom thereof to permit the liquid from the reservoirs to be forced therethrough under pressure by gravity, an automatic valve interposed between each pipe and its respective reservoir, mixing chambers and fusible extinguishing 110 heads connected to the free ends of the pipes, the automatic valves being normally closed by air or fluid under pressure in said i es to prevent the mixing of the different uids in said reservoirs, said valves being actu- 116 ated upon the fusing of a fusible extinguishing head whereby the liquids may mix and form a fire extinguishing foam for the purpose specified.

3. In an automatic fire extinguishing ap- 12 paratus, a plurality of solution reservoirs holding component solutions which, when comixed, produce a fire extinguishing vfoam, solution discharge means comprising a discharge pipe for each reservoir and connected 125 for solution communication with such reservoir, a distributing piping system including a foam mixing chamber connected to said solution discharge means, automatic valve mechanism in said solution discharge means 130 and located between the distributing piping system and the reservoirs; the said automatic valve mechanism being normally closed under fluid pressure in the distributing piping system and fusible extinguishmg means connected to a free'end of the said distributing piping system; the autoinzitic valve mechanism being adapted to be opened upon the fusing of the fusible eXtinguishing means to permit the solutionsto flow from the reservoirs to the mixing cham- JAMES B. ERWIN. ORLANDO R. ERWIN.

Witnesses: I

O; C. VEBER, A. J. MGKERIHAN, 

